New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-13
600. clustering Spring.
COnyclllng har,hncss, 20.
RUBlNSTElN's "PARADlSE LOST

RUBINS1ElN'S PARADISE LOST
Notwithstanding that a brilliant tucccs. cannot be
chrouicled either tor the work itself tor those con
cerned in ia production the first complete perform
ance Of Rubin-teln- Paradise Lost in the United
States which took place in Brooklyn last night was
an occurrence Of lttlo interest IL cannot be set
down as OF profound artistic Significance and II viii
probably do little to advance the reputation which
Rubinsten enjoys in this country bat tor many rca
sons nevertheless II was interesting First Il came ~
time when the prospect 81 bearing the first Of the
composers operas That has crossed tho ocean has put
the name OF Rubiuste!n into cVclyhodNi mouth. Iu.-
excited curiosity III "A work which the composer would
hive ia believe IA CLOSELY related the lyric drama
Then it came while tho singular tact fresh In the
memory that less than three local conductors had
announced Rubinstcns latest work the symphony
composed tor the opening OF the new Grwaudhaus IN
cipsic their prOsucctuscs ana then all withdrawn
IT, two after reading the and after submit
ting IL to trial with his band Instances az this kind
seldom occur and without wishing in any way 10 re-
fleet upon the merits OF the new work the tact j. sub
mittcd ns "a bit of evidence which may or may not
have been needed to prove that Rubu-ten'- name Il
as little "a guarantee ~ that OF any other musician of
the value OF n composition to which L attached. In
music only hearing Is believing; not even seeing. as
Herr >cdl demonstrated when In tho eleventh hour
he substituted Bcethovens Eroica for the new sym
phony. u,,,,
,i,. Lro,'eht torvnrL last Iight ia not "a new work
I'm fact il attained its legal majority more than six
wears ago The printed in 1850. but unless
W, are misiniorued it waited fifteen years Tor ia list
y
vcmber 1879. -Four years after that first perform
auce tho most beautiful and largest the three parts
into which the work divided. Part IL, had ex-
ccedingly credtable performance at one of the con
c.rts Of the twenty first festival of the North Amer
can Sangcrbund held in Cincinnati in June, 1879. In
this performance n chorus ~ 500 voices and an
orchestra OF 100 Instruments emf loved and the
effect spite of the drawbacks incident 10 festival
in mich the choir is CONF O,cd VI nuher Of sin. ing
societies brought together tor the purpose WAS more
impressive than at last nights performance. The Ian
guagc used German. which also had ts advantage
in respect, Tor the English translation made by
Mr. Henry Ilcrsec Tor the London Philharmonic
Society which was used by the Brooklyn society last
night, is ptiu specimen OF hnckwork. The Cncin
nat, performance OF Part II. and the performance OF
the concluding chorus OF that part by the Brooklyn
Philharmonic Society. the only American perform
ances ot any OF this music of which We have KNOW
edge previous to last night.
We do not believe that the cities which have not
heard the work have been deprived OF IL very great
pleasure The most powerful mpicsson that II made
was OF disappointment. Years ago I'VE have tor
gotten the time well IA the Occa.0nl the eN ,ecnt
critic and historian, a. ". AmbrOs. writing OF
Rubn-tcn "A com. recalled fantastic tale 10y
kotZebue IN winch there In King Puimentor who is
powerful giant but Onl, from sunrise To midnight
the stroke of the midnight belt he sbrnks mp To
pgmy and 80 remains until dawn. So this WAS
AmbiOs, application OF the story, ono might fancy
that FuIncntor kubnstcm had composed the
" Ocean symphony before and the opera " Fcrl-
mor-" after midnight. with the sinccrcsl admiration
tor tho artistic CHARACTER of the great Russian tear
that critical pOstcrtV will make sharp classcn
story. and that "a few chOruses excepted, all Para
disc Lost viii be nut in the second class along with
" toramors Rubnstcin calls the work n sacred
OPERA hut II h even less entitled to such dcsigua
tion than The Tower OF Babel produced here III 1881
by DIR. pamrosch. Ii Rubinstein were ever to realize
the dream which he had when no Invented the desna
ton Biblical or sacred opera" should expect
the public to privileged in the OF "The Tower OF
Babel " listen " the music OF the last chorus while